Ashido Kanō (FC)
| birthday = | age = | gender = Male | height = | weight = | eyes = | hair = | unusual features = | affiliation = | previous affiliation = | occupation = | previous occupation = | team = | previous team = | partner = Akira Hiroshi | previous partner = | base of operations = | marital status = Single | education = | family = | clan(s) = | status = Active | shikai = Unknown | bankai = Not revealed }} Ashido Kanō (狩能 雅忘人) is a formerly of the Gotei 13. He resides in the under the desert sands of , having been trapped in the land of s centuries ago. Having lost his companions one-by-one he survived alone, hoping to kill as many Hollow as possible to protect s and keep his promise to his fallen friends. Over the years he remained alone but he did serve as a guide for during her own travels through the Forest of Menos, and intended to leave with her and her friends, but ultimately stayed behind to cover their retreat. Ashido survived yet again and continued his solo crusade to dispatch as many Hollow as he could. In the year following the Blood War, Ashido once more found himself acting the part of a guide. After fleeing from his twin brother, Akira Hiroshi purposefully to Hueco Mundo, where he was found by Ashido. Rather than leave immediately Akira remained with Ashido to hone his skills. During Akira's tutelage the pair encountered reclusive former member Gundinger Drelairn, developing something of a complex relationship with the . For the last nine years of Akira's exile Ashido likewise protected Asuka Natsume, who was one of Hotaru's followers who tried to kill Gundinger and ended up trapped in the Forest as a result. When Akira left the Forest and formed the Ryū Order to stop Hotaru, Ashido remained behind in the Forest with Gundinger to monitor the escalating situation between the Tres Pilares and the remnants of the Wandenreich. Appearance Ashido is a tall broad-shouldered man of little expression with brownish-red hair and straight eyebrows, who wears a ragged Shinigami uniform with no footwear, with a fur cloak draped over his shoulders adorned with various Hollow masks.Bleach manga; Volume 29, The Slashing Opera He commonly uses these masks as shields to deflect .Bleach anime; Episode 149 Prior to its destruction protecting , Ashido wore a gazelle-shaped Hollow mask.Bleach anime; Episode 147 This mask held sentimental value for Ashido, for it belonged to the Hollow who killed his best friend.Bleach anime; Episode 148 Before coming to Hueco Mundo Ashido wore an untarnished Shinigami uniform and during one fantasy of the future had he escaped the Forest with Rukia and her friends, he saw himself in this same uniform living a life of peace in Soul Society.Morning Prince Exiled Personality Ashido's existence is one of constant battle with little deviation. When he fights he does not become excited nor does he engage in reckless action, and he is quick to point out when others do -- namely , and Akira.Journal entry: June, 2012 He has been alone for so long, with few exceptions over centuries, that he has essentially lost all facial expression. Whether he is at peace or in battle his overall mood stays the same. Despite his isolation Ashido did not shun company.Journal entry: October, 2003Journal entry: November, 2003 He attacked Rukia not because he wanted to harm her but simply to determine her strength, claiming that the weak do not survive long in the Forest, and opened up to her very quickly regarding his past. Had things been different Ashido would have willingly left the Forest with Rukia and company. Since meeting Rukia, however, he has begun to fantasise about a life outside the Forest. In one instance he saw himself as a member of an unspecified Division, though he struggled to deal with the attention he was receiving. His musings where interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Akira Hiroshi. At first Ashido didn't quite know what to think of his new companion -- Akira's knowledge of Ashido's counterpart gave him an insight into Ashido's history and motivation, which was information Ashido himself had not provided him with. After a frank discussion the two reached something resembling an understanding and Ashido agreed to take Akira under his wing.Reaper Abroad: The Forest of Menos It took roughly two years for the two to be completely at ease in one-another's company. It was during these two years that Akira got to truly know Ashido, realising why Kenji respected his counterpart so much, for Akira claimed that some Captains in the Gotei 13 could learn a great deal about duty and commitment from Ashido based on his example.Journal entry: May, 2005 Ashido initially held the view that Akira was childish and naive.Journal entry: January, 2019 Ashido came to hold a humorous view on how often he saw company after Rukia's visit, considering he had been alone before that for centuries. Not only did Akira and Asuka gravitate towards the elder Shinigami but Ashido also found himself forming a strange form of friendship with Gundinger Drelairn.Journal entry: July, 2010 The latter surprised even Ashido -- Gundinger being an Arrancar -- because he initially met Gundinger when the latter attempted to kill Akira,Journal entry: February, 2005 but the pair eventually worked together to kill who had been attacking Gundinger. By the time Akira was ready to leave the Forest, Gundinger actually informed Ashido and Akira of potential shifts in the balance of power in the Forest to better avoid conflict.Journal entry: September, 2018 A consummate survivor, Ashido has been forced to adapt to his surroundings: he would either thrive or die and thrive he did. He collects Hollow masks and uses them as shields to deflect , which is a function unseen elsewhere. In addition he carries these masks on his cloak like trophies of the hunt, and he actually became upset when his favourite mask was broken. He quickly discovered that the trees within the Forest aren't plants but are rather composed of a quartz-like mineral, thus making them inedible.Bleach Official Character Book 2 MASKED, page 130 One edible source Ashido discovered was .Bleach light novel; Can't Fear You're Own World Volume 3, pages 396-404 Akira has speculated that the meat Ashido has been noted to eat is, in fact, Hollow meat. Despite his situation Ashido has a rarely seen sense of humor and is more than capable of cracking a smile under the right circumstances, one case being when Akira managed to successfully decorate a makeshift Christmas tree.Journal entry: December, 2003 Akira and he also created "Hollow Ricochet": a game involving Ashido redirecting Akira's to hit marked targets to earn points which, according to Ashido, doubled as a training-aid for Akira.Journal entry: March, 2009 In later years he also enjoyed making fun at Akira's expense, once calling his young charge "clueless" when the conversation turned to Asuka Natsume.Journal entry: August, 2015 History Ashido graduated the Shin'ō Academy when the curriculum still covered information regarding the . He came to hold the view that they posed a significant danger to the Cycle of Souls. Unlike his counterpart, who had heard of the Yuengiri prior to meeting Kenji Hiroshi, this Ashido had no knowledge of the philosophy.Journal entry: April, 2004 Centuries before the events of the , Ashido was an average attached to an unspecified Division in the Gotei 13. His unit, which comprised a number of close and personal friends, fought a group of . He and his friends pursued the retreating Hollow through a , which led them into the . Despite their best efforts however Ashido's friends where killed one-by-one until only Ashido himself remained. Taking up the mask of the Hollow who killed the last of his friends Ashido, enraged, killed the surrounding Hollow and resolved himself to a life of constant battle in order to protect Human souls. The Soul Society was aware of Ashido's disappearance, with one report claiming that he and his unit had been missing for quite some time. In actuality Ashido had been MIA for almost two-hundred-fifty years.Bleach novel; Spirits Are Forever With You Ashido's life consequently became one of constant battles against Hollow with little deviation over centuries. He became quite well-known amongst certain Hollow, chief amongst them the , with whom Ashido had fought numerous times over the years. Many years later he refused to leave the Forest before he could settle matters with the Guardian, stating his last duty in the Forest would be to kill him. Despite his familiarity with the Forest there where areas he either avoided or did not explore. One such area was the territory of Gundinger Drelairn. Around the time of the Ashido began noticing changes in the resident Hollow. Shortly after he came to the rescue of another in the Forest and took her back to his hideout, where he quickly tested her strength. This Shinigami introduced herself as , and Ashido was quick to explain his past and motivations, with him even taking Rukia to the site where his friends had lost their lives. Ashido agreed to lead Rukia to the exit and help her find her friends, and would have fled the Forest with them had the group not come under attack by the Adjuchas. Ashido stayed behind to cover Rukia and her friend's retreat. He survived and once more resolved himself to a life of battle. Synopsis Renascence Beginning :Main article -- Renascence Beginning. 9th Division Assault arc *Morning Prince Exiled *Reaper Abroad: The Forest of Menos Intervening Years *Reaper Abroad: Akira Hiroshi's Journal Bleach Renascence :Main article -- Bleach Renascence. Hueco Mundo chapter Equipment *'Hollow masks:' Ashido carries several Hollow masks attached to his fur coat. These masks have the potent effect of deflecting incoming , and have thus far been shown deflecting Cero blasts from Menos-class Hollow, full-blown Adjuchas, and even Visored. One of these masks, shaped like that of a gazelle, was worn over Ashido's own face. This particular mask held sentimental value for Ashido as it belonged to the Hollow who killed his best friend. By subtlety shifting his own position and angle of defence Ashido could partially control the trajectory of the reflected Cero. Akira and he created a game based around Ashido's ability to deflect Cero, which the pair dubbed "Hollow Ricochet". Powers and Abilities : Several centuries worth of battle against Hollow in the Forest of Menos saw Ashido's power grow significantly. By the time of the and that followed he was easily at Captain-level, with Rukia mentioning that he was strong even without using Bankai. Akira noted that Ashido was almost exactly alike to the counterpart he trained under, who was stated on several occasions to be Captain-level. He stated with confidence that he could defeat Gundinger but admitted that the effort would draw far too much attention. : Ashido's preferred combat form is swordsmanship. Even without releasing his Zanpakutō Ashido dispatches Hollow of varying levels, from Gillian to Adjuchas, with swordplay alone. Amongst Shinigami he employs a "sword-and-board" style, frequently fighting one-handed whilst employing a Hollow mask capable of deflecting in his off-hand. He possesses the requisite strength, skill, and speed to instantly dispatch multiple at range with the mere force of his swing. His skill extends to engaging other swordsman, including those formerly of the Espada, and he was more than capable of easily dispatching former Soldat of the Wandenreich. In a reversal of established role Ashido learned the Wan'nesu from Akira in the first year of the latter's exile. Enhanced Senses: Ashido is remarkably perceptive. He was capable of sensing Ichigo and Renji's battle with several Hollow from a considerable distance. He later proved himself capable of discerning the unique feel of Akira's reiatsu during the brief time his was donned and determine his location from that alone. Stealth: Although not being known to possess a former affiliation with the , Ashido has lived, fought, and stalked his way through the Forest of Menos for centuries. He was able to evade the surrounding Hollow after rescuing Rukia easily, and remarked that Ichigo and Renji where reckless in their manner of battle, inferring that their recklessness attracted unwanted attention. Hollow Knowledge: Ashido possesses unique knowledge regarding the combating of Hollow unseen elsewhere. Though initially an accident he learned that Hollow masks have the ability to deflect , a trait he has exploited with abandon over centuries. He also demonstrates advanced knowledge of Hollow classifications which includes the rare Vasto Lorde class, which he explained to Rukia. After encountering Akira he came to know the various strengths and weaknesses of Visored, and later added knowledge of Arrancar. His ability to redirect Cero saw marked improvement through the development of a game alongside Akira referred to as "Hollow Ricochet". Ashido became fit to redirect Cero with the needed finesse to hit marked targets with ease. Kidō: Although his full skill has gone unseen thus far, Rukia stated that Ashido's hideout was lit by Kidō. He later admitted that it was "an easy trick of Kidō". He frequently experimented with his Kidō abilities as a way to distract himself. Enhanced Strength: Ashido possesses notable strength and the force of his attacks quickly tired Rukia. When putting forward sufficient effort he has been known to create a tornado-like blast some have mistaken for .Bleach game; Brave Soul, Ashido (Speed) Hohō Expertise: Ashido is capable of employing Shunpo with enough skill to swiftly remove himself from an area even whilst carrying a passenger and remain undetected by countless Hollow. Travelling alone he is able to swiftly travel through the Forest without alerting nearby Hollow, and attack by exploiting the element of surprise. In battle he is capable of swift movements to evade an opponent's attacks whilst simultaneously closing the distance to strike in close-quarters, or move quickly to shield allies. He was swiftly fit to appear in-front of Ichigo and Renji to defend them from several Cero, whilst deflecting every blast effectively. Zanpakutō Ashido possesses a Zanpakutō whose sealed form is that of a katana with green-coloured hilt-wrapping and a chipped guard. The sheath is brown. *' :' Unknown. *' :' Not revealed. Akira noted that Ashido and his counterpart where almost identical. The Ashido of Akira's original world could employ Bankai prior to joining the Ryū Order.Ashido's counterpart Alternate world counterpart :Main article -- Ashido Kanō. This version of Ashido was noted to be very similar to the version later encountered by Akira. He joined the Ryū Order created by Kenji Hiroshi and went on to become a master of the Wan'nesu style alongside Shiju Shūdō. Author's notes Behind the scenes Trivia *Ashido was supposed to appear in the manga but was cut due to time constraints. References & notes Category:Characters Category:Shinigami Category:Male